[wharf-rat]

So I only have the bighorn I for my frame. I am trying to decide if I should buy a 150q cooler and put that in the front bay with a pad on top or if I should buy a gear box and put that up front. That would mean the cooler would go... in the back? Not ideal.. maybe I should just sell the bighorn I and get the II, how do others with a bighornI rig their boats for multi days?

 

[almortal]

Add on a crossbar and you have three usable bays. It is long enough. That footbar kills a bunch of usable space.

 

[wharf-rat]

And not use the foot bar? And push off the.gear box for power. Could work...

 

[almortal]

If you want to use the footbar just have it a few inches behind the cross bar and you still have room in the rowers bay.

 

[Osprey]

I mean it’s all modular, no need to sell one for the other. Probably cheaper to buy an extra crossbar or two and/or longer rails if needed. Or buy longer rails and cut down the existing side rails and make them into crossbars with some extra lopros. I put my cooler up front and then the footbar right next to the cross bar for that. Reason being I found when wet my feet would slide all over trying to use the cooler as a foot rest, or slide under it. The footbar is just better for me. Then have two cross bars in the back for a bay, sit on the dry box for multi-day trips, or I drop the seat bar in there for day trips. Problem is that seat bar will be in the way if you try to use that as a cross bar for a bay in the back.

 

[Z_in_MT]

Bighorn frame mod

I had a 78" Bighorn type frame (+ a seatbar). I bought 92" siderails and cut one 78er down for an extra cross bar (saving other 78" bar to cut in half for small day frame).

Now I have 2 bays up front (cooler, drop bag w/ top for paco pad lounge), foot bar and seat bar in rower's bay, and a bay behind the seat. This is enough space for me but I could always add another cross bar, remove seat bar, and sit on a drybox if I need more space.



Buying the longer side rails was about $100. Plus 2 lowpros - $150.